Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-12-23

words that he judged nfs1g, lev MI
Conyers lei in prayer, Rey- Mr. Conner
administered some religious counsel to
the patient prisoner. who probably
thcugsit that al the sins OF which be re-
pe1fe.l were lees than the sin VI rebellion
of which They were guilty. NocofIin was
provided. naf few hundred feet away
tie grave was already open The signal
was given. and the net uncommon bung-
ling Of an execution added new h0rroEs-
The cotton rope stretched so that the
stackiei feet reached the ground Prom
motives Of humanity" the ground was
shoyeletl away, and the soul liberated
The pathes Of this death is indescrfb-
ablc The drop falls and the mere physi-
cad agony Is soon over. The body, WEAK
ened by tl,e last terrible struggle Tor lie
made not 80 much Tor self - for the
loving heart in far away Flenfngsburg-
e.pne. long resist. Then the corpse Is
t1..en down; the horror bound spectators
still inner. The poor remains Of man
Of superb beauty and princely endowments
are carried to the shallow grave on . little
bill crest, and there, near large stone,
(which may mark the grave, II any friend
ever wants to know where it H." a.
spectator charitably said, he Is laid 70
rest. lneFt Is no sDEOuu luC Ousy
grave clothes are the tattercd garments
left from the last sad race for life. Can
the reader conceive anything more pitiful
than the view presented Just before the
damp earth is thrown on the cold, up
turned face, The busy brain, from which
came daring enterprises and cool action,
is quiet forever The limbs that toiled so
far. 'or patriotism, fame, perhaps for ven
geance. and ut last for life, labor no more
The heart so true to country and COM
rsides, SO faithful under forms of false
hood, is st.iled. The utmoct depths OF
adversely have been sounded, and the
enemy can touch him no more. Even the
welded shackels, which seem to bind in
the grave, have lost their power II is
well TINT man has one refuge from every
eartLly rIsfortune; and as evening gath
cred its shadows over the little heap Of
freshly turned earth In the wOod-a spot
long uI,rcc0..nizsa-ya lie not better Of
than IAe comrades from whom he had
just partesi or those more distant, whose
fate Was trembling in the balance ut
Knoxville
Some days or weeks after the compile
ton of this mournful tragedy man came
20 the old depo. ut Stevenson, Ala, which
was then used rs II storehouse by the
Federais. He seemed to be a stranger
and went cautiously to Sergt. William
Hunter Myers, Of Company X, Thirty
third Ohio, and asked to speak with him
alone. Myers at once assented ami took
him into the room. The man looked to
see that no one was near the door or win
dows and then said: II have papers in
my possession which would cost me my
life if the Confederates should discover
them Oh me. want to get clear of them"
Myers took the papers and glanced over
them, finding the letter of Andrews to his
mother and his will" already quoted.
lie was perfectly familiar with our expe-
dition, belonging to the same company as
Parrot. This made II easy for him to
recognize the great interest Of the papers,
for up to this time only scattered and
partial information had been brought
through the lines. On inquiry tine man
said he was fireman Oh the Georgia
State railroad, and that he had been en-
ployed for several years in that capacity.
His native place however, was Hagers-
town, Md, and he had stood the ways Of
the rebels as long rs he could, and was
now anxious to get home. Myers wanted
to know how he came in possession Of the
papers, but he declared that he dared not
tell Finding that he had nothing more
to say, he was sent under guard to Hunts
Vile from which place it was easy for
him to reach his old home: and The papers
also, after considerable detention, arrived
at their destination.
The account of the escape and recap
ture Of Andrews was published in The
Cincinnati Commercial, about the 10th of
June, and reached the sister of Ass Lay
Iyi wi m md hnn hnr
home. As she was already in deep dis
trcss because of Andrews long delay
without any message, they did not dare to
tell her the pcrilous situation in which her
lover was placed. But near the end Of
June the full account of his execution
was copied in the same paper from The
Southern Confederacy of June =, 1852.
As the end OF all her hopes had come (less
than n week before the intended wedding
day her brother and sister judged it best
not to keep her longer in suspense, aud
the paper was handed to her Her eyes
rested on the following paragraphs:
Yesterday evenings train brought from Clint
tanooga to this place to be executed, Andrews,
the leader OF the engine thieves under sentence
OF Ce1th, convicted by court martial of being a
spy. He carried out Peachtree street road,
accompanied by three clergymen, and escorted
u
witness the execution.
He was native OF Hancock county, Va, born
in lf.I brought up by pious Presbyterian parents,
who now reside in southwestern Missouri.
good portion of his life had been spent In F1em-
ing county, Ky. He had No family, but was en-
gagged to b. married during the present month.
She did not shrek or cry out, but read
1t through to the end, and went silently to
her room, from which she did not emerge
for hours; and when she did rejoiu the
family her fnce was drawn and pale, and
the light had gone out of her eyes. From
this time forward she took little interest
in anything until the letter to Mr.. Nc
Gavic, printed above, arrived. Many
months after, the empty trunk, so pathetic
an emblem Of her blasted hopes and the
great tragedy that had fallen on her life,
was recovered In the absence of any
explanation, for the letter to her was
never received, it seemed like cruel
mockeryl Not long utter she died, thus
rcjoinng the man she had loved so faith
fully through such hopeless sorrow. No
brave man pcrishes that some tender
vomans heart ~ not crushed!
Confined to morrow